Early detection of developmental disorders is critical to outcomes, leads to specific therapeutic interventions and is a main function of the primary care medical home. Developmental surveillance is recommended at every well-child visit with standardized screening tests recommended to be administered at the 9, 18, and the 24/30-month visits. This policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics provides an algorithm to support health care professionals addressing developmental concerns in children from birth through 3 years of age. Extensive screening tool information is included: Identifying Infants and Young Children With Developmental Disorders in the Medical Home: An Algorithm for Developmental Surveillance and Screening

Why Screen for ASD?

Early detection and early treatment are key to effective treatment of ASD and may lead to

Improved language

Improved adaptive functioning,

Improved social interactions,

Fewer behavioral difficulties and

Improved outcomes.

Early screening for autism is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), both of whom support the early use of standardized general developmental screening tests as well as the use of autism-specific screening tests at 18 and 24 months of age. Visit AAP.ORG for policy statements, additional information and resources supporting these recommendations. D-PIP (Devlopmental Surveillance and Screening Policy Implementation Project) Screening Tool Grid – This site provides a grid outlining screening tool options for general developmental screening as well as autism specific screening. The grid provides a description of each tool, applicable age range, number of Items, administration time, psychometric properties, a scoring method, cultural considerations, purchase/obtainment information and key references.

Fostering Partnership and Teamwork in the Pediatric Medical Home: A "How To" Video Series - Transforming a pediatric practice to the medical home model of care can be a complicated process. With the release of three new instructional videos, the National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) aims to make that transformation easier and more understandable. These free videos show pediatric practices and their teams how to create efficiency through team huddles, how to build a stronger medical home through family advisory groups, and how to enhance collaboration with families through care partnership support. Each video describes the strategy, reviews the benefits, and provides guidance on implementation in a practice setting. All three videos are now available on the NCMHI YouTube channel!

Learn the Signs. Act Early. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), in collaboration with a number of national partners, coordinate the Learn the Signs. Act Early. campaign. This campaign aims to educate families and professionals about childhood development, including early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders, and encourages developmental screening and intervention.

Implementing Developmental Screening - This page, a component of the National Center for Medical Home Implementation, links to a variety of information and resources to assist providers in the implementation of developmental screening and other medical home initiatives.

MICS – MICS is Mississippi’s Integrated Community Systems for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families and is a project of The Institute for Disability Studies. MICS is working to create a system of family-centered, community-based, culturally competent services and supports for children and youth with special health care needs in Mississippi.

Family Support

A Parent's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder - This guide produced by the National Institute of Mental Health provides information on signs, symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of autism and may be useful to families.

Family-to-Family Center - Mississippi's Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center is a family-focused, family-managed resource center that empowers families of children with special health care needs to be partners in decisions concerning the health of their children.

Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders - This clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics was developed to assist pediatricians in educating families and guiding them toward empirically supported interventions for their children. The report reviews the educational strategies and associated therapies that are the primary treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders.

The following references were shared with MACSS by the CoBalt (Community Based Autism Liaison and Treatment Project) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Information about the CoBalt project